Department of Criminal Justice
Ph.D. in Criminal Justice Program Requirements
A cohort-based, face-to-face doctoral program that prepares experienced professionals to transform criminal justice practice through advanced research, applied scholarship, policy analysis, and leadership.
Program Overview
The Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice prepares students to address the growing complexity of criminal justice institutions through advanced analytical, research, critical-thinking, and leadership skills.
The program combines doctoral seminars, advanced quantitative and qualitative methods, criminological theory, comprehensive examinations, and an applied dissertation project with practical implications for criminal justice policy and practice.
Courses are delivered face to face in a cohort format at Tarleton’s Fort Worth campus. The structured sequence is designed with working professionals in mind and emphasizes sustained interaction with faculty members and criminal justice practitioners.
52–54
Total Credit Hours
≈4
Years to Completion
Cohort
Structured Progression
Face-to-Face
Interactive Doctoral Study
Fort Worth
Program Location
Degree Completion Plan
The doctoral degree progresses through three connected phases: formal coursework, comprehensive examinations and candidacy, and dissertation research.
Phase I
Doctoral Coursework
Approximately 42 credits
Complete advanced coursework in criminological theory, statistics, research design, research methods, survey research, predictive policing, professional development, and approved electives.
Phase II
Comprehensive Exams
1–3 examination credits
Pass comprehensive examinations in criminological theory, research design and methods, and statistical analysis before advancing to doctoral candidacy.
Phase III
Dissertation Research
At least 9 credits
Develop and defend a dissertation prospectus, complete an applied research project, prepare the written dissertation, and successfully complete the final oral defense.
Continuous Dissertation Enrollment
After beginning dissertation research, students must remain enrolled in at least one dissertation credit each required term until the degree is completed, including the term in which the student graduates.
Recommended Four-Year Timeline
1
Year One
Two courses in fall, two courses in spring, and two courses in summer.
2
Year Two
Two courses in fall and spring and one course in summer.
3
Year Three
Two courses in fall, one course in spring, followed by comprehensive examinations by summer.
4
Year Four
Dissertation hours in fall, spring, and summer, followed by the final defense when ready.
Doctoral Progression and Milestones
1. Complete Required Coursework
Complete the prescribed doctoral curriculum and satisfy all academic-performance standards.
2. Pass Comprehensive Examinations
Demonstrate doctoral-level mastery of criminological theory, research design and methods, and statistical analysis.
3. Advance to Candidacy
Complete the required Admission to Candidacy process after successfully passing the comprehensive examinations.
4. Complete the Prospectus Defense
Develop the dissertation proposal and complete the oral prospectus defense at least one semester before the final dissertation defense.
5. Complete and Defend the Dissertation
Conduct the approved research, complete the written dissertation, and present a successful public oral defense.
Academic Performance Standards
Course Grades
A grade of B or higher is required for a doctoral course to count toward the Ph.D. degree.
Students are expected to maintain satisfactory academic progress throughout the program. A second grade below B in the same course may result in removal from the doctoral program.
Program Progression
Students must satisfy coursework, examination, candidacy, prospectus, dissertation, and defense requirements in the sequence established by the doctoral program.
B
Minimum Course Grade
A grade of B or higher is required for the course to apply to the doctoral degree.
Applied Dissertation Requirements
Prospectus
Develop an applied research proposal identifying the problem, theoretical foundation, literature, research questions, methodology, and anticipated contribution.
Research
Conduct the approved research in consultation with the dissertation chair and committee and in accordance with university research requirements.
Written Dissertation
Prepare a complete doctoral dissertation demonstrating rigorous scholarship and providing practical or policy-relevant implications for criminal justice.
Public Defense
Present and defend the dissertation before the doctoral committee in an oral defense open to the university community.
Alumni Perspective
Dr. Christina Camberos
Criminal Justice Ph.D. Alumna ’25
“Embrace the struggle, trust your passion, and know that the skills you earned mean you get to make your own luck from here on out.”
Program Resources
Use Graduate Catalog and Doctoral Program Handbook for detailed course requirements, policies, forms, procedures, and program expectations.
Advance from Coursework to Doctoral Scholarship
Review the official requirements, follow the program milestones, and work closely with your faculty advisor and doctoral committee throughout the degree.